Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Hispaniolan Oriole

Icterus dominicensis

The Hispaniolan oriole, Icterus dominicensis, is a strikingly plumaged bird endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. This species exhibits a predominantly black and yellow coloration, with the absence of white wing markings, setting it apart from many of its relatives.

Identification Tips

Adult Hispaniolan orioles are characterized by their black bodies with vivid yellow patches on the shoulders, rump, and under-tail coverts, extending to the lower breast. Both sexes share a similar appearance, which is typical among tropical orioles. Juveniles display olive upper parts and dull yellow underparts, with black wings and sometimes a black or reddish-brown throat. The species can be distinguished from the similar yellow-shouldered blackbird by the absence of yellow shoulder patches. Adult males typically weigh 35-38 grams, while females range from 33-40 grams, and the average length is 20-22 centimeters.

Habitat

The Hispaniolan oriole inhabits a variety of environments on Hispaniola, including tropical and subtropical forests, forest edges, woodlands, and gardens, from coastal areas to mid-mountain elevations. They show a preference for areas with palm fronds, which are utilized for nesting, and are also found in shaded coffee plantations.

Distribution

This species is a year-round resident of Hispaniola, which comprises the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and can also be found on the neighboring islands of Gonâve, Saona, and Tortuga.

Behaviour

Hispaniolan orioles are adept foragers, often seen hanging upside-down to access food sources on the undersides of leaves. They are active in dense vegetation, searching for fruits, insects, flowers, and nectar.

Song & Calls

The call of the Hispaniolan oriole is a sharp "keck" or "check." Its song, a series of high-pitched whistles, is infrequently heard, typically after dawn, and is seldom vocalized during the day.

Breeding

The breeding season for the Hispaniolan oriole spans from March to June, though breeding can occur irregularly throughout the year. Their nests are finely woven hanging baskets made from plant fibers, often situated on the underside of banana trees or palm fronds. The eggs are white with a pale blue tint and dark brown spots, with clutches averaging three eggs. Fledglings undergo a pre-basic molt once they gain independence.

Similar Species

The yellow-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus) is often mistaken for the Hispaniolan oriole due to its similar size and yellow patches, but it can be differentiated by the presence of yellow only on the shoulders.

Diet and Feeding

Hispaniolan orioles consume a diet of fruits, insects, flowers, and nectar, with a particular fondness for the nectar of the Erythrina plant. Their foraging behavior includes acrobatic feats such as hanging upside-down to reach food.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List categorizes the Hispaniolan oriole as "Least Concern." While there have been no comprehensive population assessments, the species is frequently observed across Hispaniola. However, there is concern over potential population declines due to brood parasitism by the invasive shiny cowbird, which has been deemed a high-quality host for the cowbird on the island.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Hispaniolan Orioles on Birda

Sightings
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Zac Peterson
Zac Peterson
16 Apr 2023 - 1:58pm
Dominican Republic

More Oropendolas, Orioles, Blackbirds

A photo of a Greyish Baywing (Agelaioides badius)

Greyish Baywing

Agelaioides badius
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Nicole
Gets me outdoors more
I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you aren’t on it, why not??
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
D3Nature
Great app for learning Birds
I’ve been using the app for a couple of months and love it....Someone said it’s like a real life Pokémon Go for birds. They’re not far off! It’s something that the family can do that gets you out and about. Well worth downloading no matter your age.
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.